Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iran instead of Botswana, you would:
Health
live 8.6 years longer
In Botswana, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In Iran, that number is 78 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
have 4.8 times more doctors per person
Botswana has 3.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Iran has 18.1 as of 2023.
have 34.5% more access to essential health services
Botswana scores 55 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iran scores 74 as of 2021.
be 51.3% less likely to die by suicide
Botswana has a suicide rate of 8.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iran, it is 4.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 24.1% more likely to be obese
In Botswana, 19.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iran, that number is 24.6% of people as of 2024.
see 18.7% less spent on your healthcare
Botswana spends $1,310 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iran spends $1,064 as of 2023.
Economy
be 66.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Botswana, 24.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iran, that number is 8.3% as of 2025.
make 49.5% less money
Botswana has a GDP per capita of $7,778 as of 2025, while in Iran, the GDP per capita is $3,924 as of 2025.
Life
be 89.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Botswana, approximately 155.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Iran, 16.0 women do as of 2023.
be 67.9% less likely to die during infancy
In Botswana, approximately 32.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Iran, on the other hand, 10.3 children do as of 2024.
have 48.4% fewer children
In Botswana, there are approximately 24.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iran, there are 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 31.6% more likely to have access to electricity
In Botswana, approximately 76% of people have electricity access (98% in urban areas, and 25% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Iran, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 48.5% more likely to have internet access
In Botswana, approximately 57.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Iran, about 85.3% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 65.0% less on education
Botswana spends 8.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Iran spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Safety
be 24.8% more likely to die in a road accident
In Botswana, road accidents kill 16.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iran, they kill 20.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 62.1% more home broadband
Botswana has 7.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Iran has 12.1 as of 2024.
use 2.3 times more electricity
Botswana uses 1,641 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Iran uses 3,815 kWh as of 2023.
live with 36.5 times more strain on fresh water
Botswana withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iran withdraws 81% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 3.3 times more CO2
Botswana emits 2.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Iran emits 9.1 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Botswana vs. Iran
Iran: At a glance
How big is Iran compared to Botswana? See an in-depth size comparison.